Grayson Hall's Green Grapes Victoria
from the Dark Shadows Celebrity Cookbook

The next time someone you love says, "Peel me a grape," just tell them, "Give me a minute and I'll do better than that!"  You run to the fridge, bring forth Grayson Hall's Green Grapes Victoria, and serve with triumph.  Thank goodness you've been well armed with the Dark Shadows Celebrity Cookbook and a dessert idea from the inimitable and indomitable Grayson Hall.  This splendid dessert is at once elegant, sophisticated, and rather unusual, the very qualities that distinguished this marvelously interesting and unique actress.  Plump green grapes are macerated in white rum and smothered with a blend of whipped cream and sour cream, then topped with dark brown sugar.  The sparkling freshness of the fruit perfumed with the rum under the blanket of cream and brown sugar are a unique taste sensation and indeed "a delight" as the author of the recipe says.  Better than ice-cream!  How nice to have a recipe with which to remember Grayson Hall, who was known to enjoy cooking and entertaining when the Halls had guests at their home in New York.  I don't think this dessert was eaten at Collinwood though, because Dr. Hoffman was seldom in the kitchen, and I believe the recipe would have been a bit beyond Mrs. Johnson's repertoire de cuisine.  I wonder if it was named after lovely Victoria Winters which is an intriguing idea.